It is not often that journal policy is dictated by input from the readership. A notable exception to this probably occurred in the ANZ Journal of Surgery in 2002, following a letter to the editor in 2001 addressing authors’ qualifications.¹

In it we pointed out that journal aspirations to international recognition and increased circulation may be enhanced by having the authors’ qualifications consistently published. We indicated that the qualifications of one’s international colleagues, including departmental heads where one may have trained overseas, can be recognised. The educational progress of one’s colleagues—for instance, a clinician’s higher qualifications (for example, PhD) may be determined. We pointed out that the reader can determine whether the …